Politician Sam Mpasu dies

Politician and writer Sam Mpasu has been found dead in his home at Mudi in Blantyre, on Thursday morning.

Mpasu: Dead

15February

A renowned writer and free-speaking politician, Mpasu was born in 1945 and served as minister in the Cabinet of former President Bakili Muluzi

He served as a diplomat in the foreign service for the Malawi mission to Germany.

While in diplomatic service in Germany, he wrote a book in 1975 entitled Nobody’s Friend, which got him arrested because the Kamuzu Banda regime thought that it was written about Kamuzu Banda.

He was detained without trial for “two years, one month, one week, and one day” in Mikuyu Prison from 1975 to 1977.

When the UDF was voted into government in 1994, Mpasu was elected along as Member of Parliament for Ntcheu Central. He was appointed Minister of Education and Government Chief Whip in Parliament.

He later served as Minister of Commerce and Speaker of the Malawi House of Assembly. His appointment as Minister of Commerce met with a lot of resistance since he was the Speaker of the House at that time. The court attempted to block President Bakili Muluzi from posting him to this position. Mpasu later accepted it.

He was also jailed in 2008 when Bingu wa Mutharika was in power for six years where he served prison sentence with hard labour in a high profile corruption case when he spearheaded the nation’s free primary school education as Minister.

A British firm, Fieldyork International, was contracted to supply books and pencils, however, several corners were cut to speed up the deal.

It was revealed that a local company offered to supply the same for less than the British firm had offered but the bid was ignored.

About US $92m was lost through the deal.

Apart from Nobody’s friend, other books to Mpasu’s name include The Hare and Other Folk-tales and Political prisoner 3/75 of Dr. H. Kamuzu Banda of Malawi.

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